Looking forward to seeing the pictures. I ordered it earlier this fall, but Vintage had just sold out of it so I didn't get it.

I never used to like teas at all because I can't smell them and because many of them mildew badly here. Knowing now that there are also many that do not mildew, and that they bloom throughout the winter, has changed my opinion of them.

The Australian tea rose book didn't hurt, either.

Rosefolly

I'd like to see her, too. Funny -- other than Mrs Dudley Cross, Teas have never been big mildewers here. Though, I admit, anything too close to Old Blush seems to be potentially problematical in my garden.

Jeri

Mme Lombard mildewed here but not anymore. Devoniensis bush is Horrible for mildew. So bad that Fr. Ambrose has started spraying it. Oddly the climbing version is clean. I would order that from now on. I've never had a bit of mildew on Mrs. Dudley. But I'm further inland.

Here many roses mildew, and I notice it most with teas and chinas. If anything, chinas are worse. Poor Hermosa! Poor Duchesse de Brabant! Poor Mrs BR Cant! Others, too; you should have seen my former mass planting of Belinda's Dream. All gone now. And on my trips to the SJHRG later in the year I see really bad mildew on the teas and chinas. That is my personal rose barometer since they are only about twelve miles from my house. Of course they cannot spray at all, and suffer from the problems of monoculture on a large scale.

Since I have been dipping my toes in the water this time, I have been cautiously encouraged. I would not have planted Madame Lambard, for example, if I had realized its reputation. However, so far, so good. After one year and some months in the ground I see no disease as yet. Lady Hillingdon had some blackspot (!) during its first few months, after that, clean. Clementina Carbonieri and Anna Olivier, both clean so far. Little Sunset is not growing very fast, but it looks healthy. I've planted Climbing Devoniensis. I hope it does well for me as you describe it does for you. I have half a dozen more waiting in pots for the big spring planting session, and another half dozen on my wish list, waiting for the spring Vintage release. You have been in an Austin frenzy. I have been in a tea frenzy. That, and white hybrid teas in preparation for a daughter's wedding next year!

Rosefolly

Rosefolly, my cleanest teas of all would be Mme. Berkeley, Niles Cochet, Mons. Tillier and Souvenir de Pierre Notting, in that order. But you're much wiser to go by what you see in San Jose because your conditions are very different from mine. I noticed how mildew prone Chinas were when I went to the Descanso gardens in Pasadena a few years back. I'd always wanted Cramoisi Superieur until I visited there! It was leprous with mildew! Thank you, no.

My Miss Atwood is great for me too! It's a lusty grower with almost always some flowers which have grown bigger and more beautiful as the plant matures. I'm not a lover of apricot roses but this one is an exception. I have some mildew now on the new growth but not enough to matter. For most of the year there is none. I can't think of a more carefree rose. If you want to cut it for the house it has to be cut when it's in tight bud.

Ingrid

Ingrid, what's your favorite color rose? Me - the yellows and apricots are so much the favorite, I have to be careful to order other colors to get some variety. You're right about it being carefree. Thanks for the cutting tip...I'll remember that.

J

Jerome, your report of Miss Atwood sounds great. I can't wait to see photos of it either!

I was really eager to try out some Teas last year and I did, but as Rosefolly reported some of them mildew quite badly and some have even a rose disease right now which looks like black spot to me ('Georgetown Tea' and 'Alexander Hill Gray'). 'Alexander Hill Gray' is a very young band from Vintage Gardens and still in a one gallon pot so I have some hope that it will outgrow that problem. I love, love, love the blooms of this rose and would be so disappointed if I would end up with a sickly rose :-(.

Christina

Jerome, for me it's the pinks, lavenders and purples. I have only two other yellow or apricot roses, Cl. Lady Hillingdon and Charles Darwin. A garden without yellow would be boring and fortunately I have several reblooming yellow irises. Do you have Carding Mill? It's a wonderful apricot Austin in that it does really well in the heat of summer.

One color that I think is glorious with yellow is purple, and I was fortunate to get two Baptiste LaFay from Vintage, who I believe got theirs from Cliff Orent. It's a polyantha with many petals whose blooms seem to last a long time. I think Vintage may have sold out though.

Ingrid

Thanks Ingrid! I have never grown a lavender rose well. Don't know why that is. Several friends have given me Angel Face - and they died, despite loving care. I saw Sweetness in a friend's garden last year and got it - the gophers ate one, and the other two are miserable and weak. I am too terrified even to try Sterling Silver - all of these modern. Jeri and Clay gave me a Forest Ranch Pom Pom which does well - but that's not lavender. On the yellow front - Charles Darwin has never been happy here - and I'm going to try to coax him along this year with "spa treatment".

Thanks again.

Jerome, I've had some lavender failures as well but, surprisingly, Lavender Simplicity does well for me and is lovely, in spite of a somewhat gawky bush. Lavender Dream, a tough as old boots large shrub with single flowers, is great. The rodents defoliated half of it completely and it seemed to take it as a challenge to grow back lusher than ever. I believe Jeri has a large specimen as well, and her photo "enabled" me to try it. I agree though, as a group they're delicate and fussy, unless they have perfect growing conditions (that would leave out most of our gardens!).

Ingrid

Actually, I have White Simplicity, and that's a great rose.

Jerome, another rose that has lovely lilac tones is Austin's Sister Elizabeth, which I adore. It does need to be planted where there's afternoon shade, but it's a small rose that's one of my very favorite Austins. The flowers to my taste are exquisite.

Ingrid

The afternoon shade dilemma... Our abbey is on a hillside facing (for the most part) south-west. The few south-east areas I have have been planted out long ago...and the roses there do beautifully. Thanks for the "heads up" on Str. Elizabeth. She must be a lovely lady (the namesake I mean) because Austin has named a rose after her, and she is referred to in another rose's entry in the company's literature.

Does anyone know where you might be able to acquire the lovely Miss Atwood? HFM only shows Vintage and it's special order only there.

I got mine from Roses Unlimited. They grow like gangbusters. I have never tried it from Vintage, because they were never available when I wanted to order this variety.

I noticed that Rogue Valley Roses has Miss Atwood in stock, but it's listed as Mme. Jules Gravereaux. Sounds like a Tea that might thrive where I garden, in the coastal belt. We get misty mornings and sunny afternoons and then cool evenings and it's pretty breezy. I don't find too many Teas or Chinas that thrive after a couple months. Initially they put on growth, then sulk when "June gloom" hits, generally now in March/April and lasting till end of August! Miss Atwood sounds like a Tea that might grow in my garden.

I was searching for info on Miss Atwood and wound up here again. Was fascinated by the reports of mildew on some of my favorite varieties that have never had mildew here in the muggy south - Mrs. Dudley Cross, Old Blush, Mrs. B.R. Cant, etc. (Knock on wood!). We grow chinas down here because they do so well, both nematode and disease and fungus resistant. Have had very good luck with Burmuda roses so will try Miss Atwood, I think. Wish me luck!